It is not just the board members of the censor board who are unhappy with chief Pahlaj Nihalani's way of working, but the government too is sending out strong messages to the latter.
Union Minister of State for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, on Monday said that any person making a film on the Prime Minster should refer it to the government, The Times of India reported.
The comments were made in reference to the video, which praises Narendra Modi and the Centre's achievements, being played during the interval of the latest Salman Khan-starrer "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo".
"If anyone wants to make a film on the PM, they should refer it to the government," he told TOI. When asked if the government would order an inquiry into the issue, he said, "We will find out if there is a conflict of interest... Government is working silently and we question everything."
Just last week, Rathore had said the censor board is "not a government mouthpiece".
"I spoke to the industry. Censor Board is not a government mouthpiece. It needs to provide certification and not censor stuff. We are very firm. “It’s an autonomous body and I want to advise them to work as a board. An individual’s views need not be propagated and censorship should be in tandem with the Constitution," The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
Several prominent faces from the film industry have voiced their criticism for Nihalani recently. Film maker Shyam Benegal on Monday said that censorship in films should be abolished. “I'm concerned about censorship that has no real purpose except to come in the way of your expression," he told TOI.